Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

लिंगं मंकणकन्यस्तं तत्रास्ति सुमहोदयम् । तत्स्पृष्ट्वा मानवाः पापैर्मुच्यंते द्विजसत्तमाः

Transliteration

liṃgaṃ maṃkaṇakanyastaṃ tatrāsti sumahodayam | tatspṛṣṭvā mānavāḥ pāpairmucyaṃte dvijasattamāḥ

Translation

ที่นั่นมีลึงคะซึ่งมังคณกะได้สถาปนาไว้ มีมหิมาอันยิ่งใหญ่ยิ่งนัก เมื่อสัมผัสลึงคะนั้น มนุษย์ย่อมพ้นจากบาปทั้งปวง โอ้ทวิชผู้ประเสริฐ

Word by Word

• लिङ्गम्: the liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• मंकणकन्यस्तम्: placed by Maṅkaṇaka
• मंकणकन्यस्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मंकणक + न्यस्त (नि + अस्/न्यस् धातु + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: मंकणकेन न्यस्तम् (placed by Maṅkaṇaka)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक)

• अस्ति: is
• अस्ति: Kriya (Existence/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सुमहोदयम्: of very great benefit
• सुमहोदयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + महा + उदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय: सुमहान् उदयः यस्य (very auspicious/very great benefit)

• तत्: that (liṅga)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (object of touching)

• स्पृष्ट्वा: having touched
• स्पृष्ट्वा: Kriya (Verbal adjunct/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्पृश् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वक्रिया = having touched

• मानवाः: people
• मानवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• पापैः: from sins
• पापैः: Apadana (Separation/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; हेतौ/अपादानेऽपि (from sins)

• मुच्यन्ते: are freed
• मुच्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/मध्यस्थ-प्रयोग: are released

• द्विजसत्तमाः: O best of brahmins
• द्विजसत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे (vocative-sense); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: द्विजानां सत्तमाः (best of the twice-born)

Speaker

Narrator (addressing dvijasattamāḥ)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maṃkaṇaka-pratiṣṭhita-liṅga (Maṃkaṇakeśvara, probable)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijasattamāḥ (brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant liṅga on a pedestal, said to be established by the sage Maṃkaṇaka; pilgrims approach with folded hands, some touching the liṅga reverently; a palpable aura signifies ‘sumahodayam’ (great glory).

Characters & Entities

• Maṃkaṇaka
• Śiva
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Contact with Śiva’s emblem at a sanctified site—supported by saintly installation—destroys sin and restores dharmic purity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Maṃkaṇaka-established Śiva-liṅga shrine within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa tīrtha described in Adhyāya 40.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-sparśa (reverent touching of the Śiva-liṅga) as a sin-removing act.